THE SPECKED [SHO9550/28]

Secret War Journal[2011 - November 2013]

Highlights

Powerful sound

• Powerful 9mm drivers deliver a deep, dynamic bass
• Sound isolating soft ear sleeve

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Enhanced durability

• Tough tangle-free cable and reinforced connectors

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Supreme comfort

• 3 sizes of ear sleeves for a customized fit

 
 

Product dimensions

Width: 1,22 cm

Width: 0,5 inch

Height: 2,35 cm

Height: 0,9 inch

Depth: 2,55 cm

Depth: 1,0 inch

Weight: 0,012 kg

Weight: 0,026 lb

Sound

Acoustic system: Semi-open

Magnet type: Neodymium

Voice coil: CCAW

Diaphragm: Mylar dome

Frequency response: 6 - 23 500 Hz

Impedance: 16 ohm

Maximum power input: 50 mW

Sensitivity: 105 dB

Speaker diameter: 8.6 mm

Type: Dynamic

Connectivity

Cable Connection: symmetrical

Cable length: 1.2 m

Connector: 3.5 mm

Finishing of connector: gold-plated

Type of cable: OFC

Packaging dimensions

Type of shelf placement: Dummy

Number of products included: 1

UPC: 6 09585 18877 8

Depth: 3 cm

Depth: 1,2 inch

Gross weight: 0,066 kg

Gross weight: 0,146 lb

Height: 17,2 cm

Height: 6,8 inch

Nett weight: 0,026 lb

Nett weight: 0,012 kg

Packaging type: Dummy

Tare weight: 0,120 lb

Tare weight: 0,054 kg

Width: 9,5 cm

Width: 3,7 inch

Outer Carton

Gross weight: 2,285 kg

Gross weight: 5,038 lb

GTIN: 1 06 09585 18877 5

Height: 37,5 cm

Height: 14,8 inch

Length: 24,8 cm

Length: 9,8 inch

Nett weight: 0,288 kg

Nett weight: 0,635 lb

Number of consumer packagings: 24

Tare weight: 1,997 kg

Tare weight: 4,403 lb

Width: 8,9 inch

Width: 22,7 cm

Inner Carton

Gross weight: 0,243 kg

Gross weight: 0,535 lb

GTIN: 2 06 09585 18877 2

Height: 17,6 cm

Height: 6,9 inch

Length: 10,5 cm

Length: 4,1 inch

Nett weight: 0,036 kg

Nett weight: 0,079 lb

Number of consumer packagings: 3

Tare weight: 0,207 kg

Tare weight: 0,456 lb

Width: 4,0 inch

Width: 10,2 cm

Link to Purchase: http://www.usa.philips.com/c/headphones/sho9550_28/prd/en/

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Review:
This ear piece had been my daily companion for around 2 years. For the price of $39.90, it lasted for quite a while until my colleague accidentally crushed it while slamming shut my drawer. Most unfortunate.

Through a collaboration between Philips and O'Neill, they came out with a new design for ear piece. During its time, wires for ear pieces were mostly made of rubber, either the conventional round or flat types. Hence, when THE SPECKED make use of fabric covering for the wires, it was considered a novelty.

What sets the fabric outer layer from the conventional rubber layering is its enhanced durability. As a rough user of ear phones, I was disillusioned with the conventional rubber layers because they tear too easily. As a result, when the ear piece that came along with my iPod was wrecked, I did some research to search for alternatives to rubber wrapped wires. Thus, that was how I chanced upon the tanker.

The strongest selling point of THE SPECKED is without doubt, its durability. In fact, when the product was first released in the market, it was advertised as the ear piece for sportsmen. As users who exercise, the ear piece that they use would be subjected to much damage during the course of the activity. THE SPECKED was built to withstand such damage and after using it for 2 years, I dare say the ear piece had lived up to its expectations.

However, while the ear piece excelled in durability, it fell behind in the sound department. The bass is decent but the fabric material proved to be an obstacle to producing quality music. In exchange for protection against wear and tear, the fabric tends to produce frictional noises when rubbed against another object. This makes it not ideal for playing music on the move as the wires would be swinging around hitting random objects (your top, slashing against the wind). In fact, this is the negative point that is a letdown for users and a major turnoff for audiophiles. Therefore, if you think cannot stand static noises when you are listening to music on-the-go, you should not buy this nor any wires covered by fabric.
That said, one way to minimise the noise would be to clip the wire to your clothing or simply listen to music without much fidgeting or without moving.

In conclusion, I would rate this product about 7 out of ten. It is considerably affordable and durable which I feel deserves a 7. :)

Thistress

Secret War Journal[25 November 2013]
I never mention to anyone.

However, this stress is strangling me.

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"It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely." - Albert Einstein

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A decade from now

Secret War Journal[November 2013]
I'll never forget being with you at the end of summer
With our dreams of the future and big hopes
I believe that ten years later in August,
we'll meet again
Such great memories...

We met in a sudden instant at the intersection on the way home
And you called out to me, and said "Let's go home together"
I was so bashful that I hid my face with my bag
But I was so very, very happy

Ah, the fireworks burst in the night sky so nicely, it kinda hurts
Ah, the wind flows by with the time

We had so many happy, fun adventures
Together in our secret base

I'll never forget being with you at the end of summer
With our dreams of the future and big hopes
I believe that ten years later in August, we'll meet again
I knew that, until the end, you were shouting
"Thank you" from the bottom of your heart
Farewell while smiling and holding back tears is so hard
Such great memories...

Ah, summer break will end soon
Ah, I hope the sun and moon make friends

We had so many sad, lonely arguments
Together in our secret base

I knew that, until the end, you were shouting
"Thank you" from the bottom of your heart
Farewell while smiling and holding back tears is so hard
Such great memories...

Nothing can be done about your sudden transfer
I'll write, and call
So don't forget me
Forever, in our secret base

With you at the end of summer, we talked on and on
After the setting sun, we gazed at the stars
I'll never forget the tear that flowed down your cheeks
I won't forget
The way you waved to me until the very end
So let's stay this way in our dreams, forever...

I'll never forget being with you at the end of summer
With our dreams of the future and big hopes
I believe that ten years later in August, we'll meet again
I knew that, until the end, you were shouting
"Thank you" from the bottom of your heart
Farewell while smiling and holding back tears is so hard
Such great memories...

Such great memories...

Effectiveness of Fire Drills (or lackof)

Secret War Journal[11 November 2013]
Recently, my friends and I have been encountering various forms of the fire alarm triggering. Be it for fire drill, false alarms and real fire.

Of course, there would be differences for each cases though there are similarities.

Fire Drill
Let's start with the case of a fire drill. It is what everyone would expect. When the fire alarm triggers off, everybody will switch off all their electrical appliances and evacuate in an orderly manner. No issues. All is calm.


Objectives of a Fire Drill
Before we carry on to what happened to the other two scenarios, let us explore the purpose of conducting fire drills for the public. Fire drills are executed to prevent people from panicking in the event of a real fire. In addition, it serves to educate people on the evacuation routes. Simply, fire drills aims to

1. Prevent Panic and Chaos
2. Inform public of evacuation routes
3. Inform public of locations of fire hoses and extinguishers
4. Minimise injuries in an event of a real fire

In my opinion, the first point is of utmost importance in a fire drill as it enables a clarity of mind which would help to achieve the secondary objectives.

Real Fire
Now let us consider what I heard happened during a fire breakout recently in an university.

On one occasion, the fire alarm triggered off. Students in the class was indifferent to the fire alarm ringing. Shortly after, there was an announcement informing the personnel in the vicinity there is not a drill and that there is a fire in the faculty. This, however, did not prompt a reaction from some of the students who listened to the announcement, only to return to their revision.

Some of us may not find such a situation shocking. Indeed, for them to remain so calm may be partly due to the fact that they deem it is unnecessary to evacuate as they are not in immediate danger. This could be because they felt that the fire is a small one and would not spread to their area. While it is not entirely wrong, it reveals a worry sign of complacency. Either they trust the system that someone would put out the fire or they really believed that it is unlikely that the fire would spread.

In a way, this proves the success of fire drills. Everyone is calm and not prone to panicking in an event a fire alarm rings. However, the question is now if it has worked too well?  Is it an issue if no one actually reacts to the fire alarm? Does it defeat the purpose of having a fire alarm system?

False Alarms
Another plausible answer to why no one reacts to the fire alarm could be its drawbacks - human mischief and malfunction

Every alarm system is prone to human mischief. While measures are put in place to minimise them, it still occurs. Curious children may sound off the fire alarm; Accidentally activation of the fire alarm for whatever reasons.

Furthermore, no system is safe from errors. A detector may erroneously detect a 'fire' and triggers off the alarm where there is, in fact, no fire.

All these causes false alarms to occur. If this happens frequently enough, people would start to ignore the alarm being triggered off, brushing it aside as another false alarm. This is analogous to the story of the boy who cried wolf.

I am no exception. During breakfast with my friends, a fire alarm was triggered off. Unfortunately, no one reacted to it. Despite hearing the ringing sound of the alarm, I did not feel any panic nor an urge to evacuate. I simply continued with my breakfast with my peers.
Somehow, over the course of my life, the ringing sound is not that jarring anymore and does not scream "FIRE" to me.

Looking around, I saw that no one responded to the alarm as well. After a few minutes, an announcement came, assuring the public that they are currently investigating if there is a fire. Immediately after, they found that it was just a false alarm.

Well, no harm done, I did not react to the alarm anyway.

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Interestingly, no matter what the scenario, the results are somewhat similar, the affected people are calm.

Some would say the fire drills have achieved its purposes. No one is panicking.

However, is it just an illusion?

Most people do not respond because they are used to false alarms. Ask yourselves, how often do you encounter a fire in a building?

If they really saw the fire with their own eyes, I doubt they would be as calm as hearing the fire alarm. It is hard to stay calm in such an event, after all. In such cases, the fire drill failed.

Furthermore, if no one responded to the fire drill, is it yet not another failing of the fire drills since it also serves to bring everyone out of the danger area and to safety? If no one moves nor respond to the alarm, it defeats the purposes of having a fire alarm.
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This is what our society is slowly turning into. People who are indifferent to alarms. This could be worrying.

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"The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that man may become robots." - Erich Fromm

AFA SG 2013

Secret War Journal[10 November 2013][Long Post][Photo-Heavy]
A little background to get our readers to be on the same page as us. AFA is short for Anime Festival (ASIA). AFA is a series of conventions mainly held in Singapore designed to promote the Japanese culture. What sets it apart from other anime conventions is the scale of operations and the crowd it attracts. AFA is without a doubt, the anime convention that boast the highest number of people attending the convention. Personally, I feel that if you are ever invited to such activities, you should definitely go for the annual AFA.

Before AFA 2013, I think I had only attended AFA once (See my post here). This year, armed with a steady income, I was invited to attend AFA. This year, armed with a steady income, I was invited to attend AFA. Seizing upon the opportunity, I accepted the invitation. However, it should be noted that I did hesitate for a moment if I should purchase the tickets for the concert.

Jie Sheng was the first person to ask if I was interested in the early bird package. The early bird package consists of entrance pass for the full duration of the convention, stage pass and VIP seats for the I <3 Anisong concert. The early bird package is considered to be a good deal if you are planning to attend the convention for the full 3 days. As an added bonus, the package would include props that you might use during the concert, such as light sticks. The reason why I did not agree to get the package right away is due to the fact that I could not confirm if I was available on the 8th of November as it was a Friday. As I am now in the army, my schedule is not completely in my control. Thus, while I was sure I should be able to attend for the 9th November since it is a Saturday, I could not fully commit to the event. As a result, Jie Sheng bought the early bird package alone. (I feel bad but it could not be helped.)

The next group who asked was Johnston, Meldon, and Qi Xiang. They heard about the early bird package from me. With similar commitments, apart from Johnston, we all missed the early bird package. For Johnston, he had trouble attending the event as his examinations would be near the corners. Despite all this, we each tried several means and compromises to attend the event. For my side, I was constantly looking out for opportunities to apply for the period of the convention. Qi Xiang and Meldon each managed to make themselves available on the days to attend for the convention. Johnston, on the other hand, studied extra hard in advance to squeeze out a day to go for the event. As luck would have it, I was able to attend for the whole duration of the event.

If the above paragraph was any indication, we decided to only attend the convention for only one day, on the 9th. Instead of getting the early bird package, we are only buying the entrance and stage pass for a day. In addition, we are purchasing a Cat 3 ticket for the concert on that day. The rationale for compromising as such was because we felt that was not much of a point buying a 3-day entrance pass as the exhibition would largely be the same through the period.

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Suntec Convention Centre
The venue of the convention this year was at Suntec Convention Centre. The convention centre had been under renovation for some time. In fact, this year was the first time I went to the newly renovated place. I remembered feeling kinda lost, entering the place despite managing to reach the destination with the aid of signboards.

Accompanying us are my Junior College classmates, Timothy and Leon. They did not buy the concert tickets but they wanted to see what was the convention like. Despite buying the early bird package, Jie Sheng did not join us for the morning as he was exhausted from the concert the night before. Furthermore, he had already visited the exhibitions. Thus, he would only join us in the afternoon to prepare for tonight's concert.

In a twist of event, we realised that we only purchased the concert tickets online but did not buy the entrance pass tickets. Thinking back, since it was already day 2, maybe there was not much point in buying the entrance and stage pass. Now, why did I say that?

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Booths, booths, booths?!

View from the first floor. 
Need tickets to enter the exhibitors on the second floor. :)

The sight of queuing up for the entrance pass was truly a sight to behold. It has been some time since I saw such a long queue which twists and turns so numerous times, enough to fill a floor. While the scene was intimidating, the queue moves surprisingly fast. Within minutes, we are in the convention hall.

From Left: Johnston, Qi Xiang, Timothy, Leon

The queue is moving very fast! It is already clearing up!

Bandai Booth. You would find Gundam models here.

Shingeki no Kyojin fans would know what is this. Hahas.

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Gundam Models

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Pass the large Gundam models on display, you would be presented with a showcase of figurines from various animes.

Angel Beats!

Hatsune Miku & Vocaloids

Madoka

Accel World Universe

Fate Universe

Stein's Gate Universe

To aru Index

Code Geas

Others

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Past the figurines galore, there are also posters on display, some are for sale. Do note some are fan-made. 

Notice that those posters on display on the wall are meant to be free gifts for buying from the booths.
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One thing that was worth mentioning would be the long queues at certain booths, notably those selling anime merchandise. At those booths, it is not uncommon to see a queue snaking around the booth. To combat the crowd, these booths are designed such that they have only one entrance and one exit. In this way, the shopkeepers are able to control the number of people entering their booths. By controlling the inflow of the customers, it helps to prevent the customers who are inside the booth from feeling being squeezed by the crowd. This helps to improve the shopping experience of the customers.

Entering the booths, we quickly realised that most of the goods in demand were already sold out. Apparently, it is common for the merchandise to be out of stock within hours of opening on the first day of the convention. Bear in mind that we attended the convention on the second day. Yet, the queue is still considerably long, as the shoppers want to grab whatever is left. Not wanting to hinder them, we simply browsed through and continued exploring the rest of the exhibition hall.

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Stage Performances

The second aspect of the convention would be the performances at the main stage. These performances are showcased at a stipulated timing and require a stage pass to enter. After visiting some of the main stage events, I would say that unless you understand spoken Japanese, I would not recommend you to buy the stage pass. Yes, there is a translator on-site who will help to translate what was spoken to English. However, in doing so, it disrupts the flow of the dialogue and much of the essence of the discussion is lost in the process. While there are song performances, interviews are more common at the main stage. Thus, if you are coming to listen to songs or band performances, you should save the money and buy yourself a concert ticket instead. (It is more worth it, trust me.)

Below is a song performed by Azusa TADOKORO, enjoy. :)

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Mini Stage
These performances are not performed at the main stage. Rather, they can be found at the booths. They have a timetable too though you would have to go to their booths to find out.


This was the theme song of the AFA this year, Origami. The singer is Valerie who is a Singaporean. She was scouted in 2010 at the AFA's maid cafe. She was a member of the now-defunct anisong idol group, Sea*A. After the disbanding of Sea*A, Valerie continues as a solo act, as part of the Asian Pop Collective, based in Singapore. Currently, she is a regular emcee for AFA's official youtube channel, "WOW JAPAN".

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Cosplay Fest

Of course, we should not forget another attraction of the convention - Cosplays! Not an advertised feature in the convention itself, in that the organisers do not hire cosplayers. (I hope? They do invite famous cosplayers to grace the event though.) Somehow, everyone just took the opportunity to cosplay for the convention and it has been the tradition since. The good thing about is that you do not need to own an entrance pass to have access to the cosplayers. (Save the renowned guest cosplayers, of course.) Most of the cosplayers can be found along the hallways, outside the exhibition halls.

 

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I <3 Anisong

Night soon befall upon us. As this was the first time we were attending the concert, we were caught off guard by how early the others went to gather at the main stage entrance. We were alerted by Jie Sheng who asked if we were at the gathering area. Alarmed, we rushed for dinner and bolted for the concert hall entrance. Fortunately, it all went well as we managed to secure the front rows for Cat 3.

So many people, so early.

While I was worried that being at the furthest position, (being Cat 3) would affect the concert experience, my fears were quickly dispelled when the concert started. Though I was unable to look at the singers up close (privilege of Cat 1), the screens did help to give us a clear yet close view of the stage. One benefit of being at the front row of Cat 3 was that we can look over the crows and be able to view the stage. I am not sure how is it like at other areas where everyone is standing up too, obscuring your with human heads at every side.

Singers for Saturday Concert:

1. Eir Aoi
2. LiSA
3. Milky Holmes (Suzuko Mimori, Sora Tokui, Mikoi Sasaki and Izumi Kitta,)
4. May'n

The singers were all great but if I had to choose. I would say I enjoyed LiSA's performances the most. Her segment was the most engaging and interactive. She came up with a simple dance gesture for us to follow along as she sings. I found that very interesting and I had a lot of fun during her segment.

Being in a Japanese concert for the first time, I really could feel the energy from their fans from Cat 1 and 2. All their cheers and waving of the light sticks to the rhythm was really energising. So this is what a concert feels like, hahas.

After the concert, we were exhausted but we really enjoyed ourselves. In fact, we are tempted to attend next year's concert. :P 

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tl;dr: AFA 13, booths were average, concert is to die for.